Starbucks To Anchor New Apartments Next To CTA Blue Line Western Stop

BUCKTOWN — A new 44-unit apartment building dubbed "The Western" at the busy corner of Milwaukee and Western avenues will be anchored by Starbucks.

A spokeswoman for the Seattle-based coffee chain on Wednesday confirmed the opening. It will not be a Reserve bar, which specialize in small batch coffee and alternative brewing methods, or one of Starbucks' higher-end shops called Roastery.

"However [it] will offer the same welcoming experience for our customers as they have seen in their neighborhood stores," the spokeswoman said.

A building permit for an estimated $225,000 project was issued on Friday to The Western, which is located at 1920 N. Milwaukee Ave. next to the CTA Western Blue Line L station at the border of Bucktown and Logan Square.

Chris Ilekis, a principal with the Vequity, the building's developer, said Wednesday that the coffee chain will take over one of up to three storefronts at the base of the building.

Ilekis said the spot leased by Starbucks is larger than a typical Starbucks cafe.

The Starbucks spokeswoman said the cafe will offer "ample seating for the community" and serve a full menu, plus Nitro Cold Brew and the recently launched Mercato lunch menu.

Currently the CTA Western Blue Line station offers a grab-and-go food stand inside of it, and the nearest coffee sources within a few blocks are Ipsento, Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's.

Amenities in the pet-friendly complex, which began pre-leasing last week, include a rooftop bocce ball court, video arcade room, bike storage, a fitness center, an outdoor fireplace and grilling stations. View the floor plans here.

Since the building is next to the "L" and located along three CTA bus routes (Milwaukee, Armitage and Western) there will be just 10 parking spots for tenants, with two of those spaces reserved for car-sharing companies like Zipcar, it was previously reported.

If everything goes as planned, Ilekis said the first wave of apartments will be ready for move-ins in July and the rest will be completed by mid-August. So far, the building is close to one-fourth leased, he said.

Concrete barrier walls as well as sound-proofed glass windows in the apartments minimize noise from passing traffic on Western.